I have a hard time ripping my eyes from him, but luckily, he makes his way to his people, partially blocking him from view, where they slap his back and congratulate him on his victory, though they aren’t too showy about it. I notice Yara’s hand lingering on his bare, glistening back longer than anyone else’s.
Yeah. That’s jealousy.
Adrian descends on the other side of the platform, a fellow guard handing him a cloth and some water.
The air is tense, quiet.
Meela and I glance at each other, not knowing what to do with ourselves, so we head back to our bench, grab our things, and head down to the castle for lunch.
None of the guards or the dragons from the training grounds show their faces in the dining hall. Not that I’m watching the doorway relentlessly or anything.
I can’t even bring myself to care, because I’m exhausted all throughout lunch. So much so that I tell Meela I’m going to take a nap afterwards. I’ll swing by the library after.
As I close my eyes in my soft bed, the last image I see is a feral, wild-haired, shirtless dragon shifter looking at me with such intensity that I can’t shake it from my mind.
It follows me into my dreams.
Chapter 24
“It’s about time,princess”
As I enter the library, two familiar prisoners, a guard, and a librarian are waiting for me, watching me expectantly. It was the large red-headed female who spoke. And it seems they’ve found out my identity.
Or should I say former prisoners.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t get word that you were out!”
Sadia looks at me with a questioning, concerned glance, and I flash her a look of reassurance. She’s known me my whole life. She trusts me.
“Okay,” she says to the guard. “You may go.”
I don’t think she appreciates his presence in her library.
“The king says you are responsible for them. They are to remain under your supervision while in here.”
“Understood,” I agree.
The burly guard glances at Sadia and the prisoners. “If she leaves, you leave. Understood?”
“Yes, yes,” Sadia says, shooing him away. “Now go.”
When he leaves, she gives me a look. “Do I want to know?”
“Nothing to tell. Just a misunderstanding by my father,” I tell her.
She raises her eyebrows as if she has many more questions, but she doesn’t press.
I gesture for Gaethri and Rhydra to follow after me as I take off down the long center aisle.
They follow without question, and we don’t speak again until we’re in the very back, far away from Sadia’s desk. Still, we need to be extremely carefulhere. It would not be difficult at all for someone to hide amongst the shelves and listen.
I stop near a table, facing them.
“You did it,” Rhydra says, not hiding her surprise.
“I said I would try.”
“Thank you,” Gaethri says with a deep, rumbling chest voice.
